SYSTEM FOR COLLECTING, ANALYZING, AND TRANSMITTING INFORMATION RELEVANT TO TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS

• US 20130059607A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Walter Paul Labys
• Inventors: Herz, Frederick S.M., Lemaire, Pierre, Lemaire, Jean H., Labys, Walter Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0265 Vehicular advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096 provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1025 Dynamic adaptation of the criteria on which the server selection is based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 : Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

When individual persons or vehicles move through a transportation network, they are likely to be both actively and passively creating information that reflects their location and current behavior. In this patent, we propose a system that makes complete use of this information. First, through a broad web of sensors, our system collects and stores the full range of information generated by travelers. Next, through the use of previously-stored data and active computational analysis, our system deduces the identity of individual travelers. Finally, using advanced data-mining technology, our system selects useful information and transmits it back to the individual, as well as to third-party users; in short, it forms the backbone for a variety of useful location-related end-user applications.

Claims

1. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant; and

(d) delivering digital content to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile and location information for the particular communicant.

2. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant;

(d) determining a current location and a predicted future location of said particular mobile communicant; and

(e) delivering digital content to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile and at least one of;

(1) said current location, and (2) said predicted future location.

3. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant, wherein said personal profile includes a travel route history database; and

(d) delivering digital content to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile and information from said travel route history database.

4. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant; and

(d) delivering digital content to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile, wherein said digital content includes combinations of a public information stream and a private information stream.

5. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant;

(d) generating a current trip vector based upon acquired location information; and

(e) delivering digital content to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile and said current trip vector.

6. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) utilizing conditional probability to identify a plurality of potential future locations for said particular mobile communicant;

(d) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant;

(e) delivering digital content to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile; and

(f) delivering digital content to selected ones of said plurality of potential future locations for pre-caching in memory for future use.

7. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant;

(d) utilizing autonomous user-side agents to negotiate terms and conditions for the receipt of an advertisement; and

(e) delivering digital content to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile and said negotiated terms and conditions.

8. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) acquiring sensor data from a vehicle associated with said particular mobile communicant at a location remote from the vehicle;

(d) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant; and

(e) delivering digital content to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile.

9. A system for communicating content to a mobile user using a communications network, the system comprising:

one or more network nodes on the communications network operative to acquire location information corresponding to the mobile user, to determine content to deliver to the mobile user based at least in part on the location information, and to communicate the determined content to the mobile user.

10. A method of communicating electronically, comprising:

(a) acquiring location information for a plurality of mobile communicants;

(b) identifying a particular mobile communicant;

(c) accessing a personal profile for said particular mobile communicant; and

(d) delivering digital content, which corresponds to predicted information needs of said particular mobile communicant, to said particular mobile communicant based upon preferences identified in said personal profile.

11. A method of communicating content to a mobile user, the method comprising computer-implemented acts of:

(a) acquiring location information corresponding to the mobile user;

(b) determining content to deliver to the mobile user based at least in part on said location information; and

(c) communicating the determined content to the mobile user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(d) acquiring user preference information specifying one or more preferences of the user;

wherein the act (b) comprises determining the content based at least in part on the user preference information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

(e) accessing a personal profile of the user that includes the user preference information.